Tag Archives: Breakfast

Make your mornings extra special with these Strawberry Oat Muffins with Strawberry-Orange Compote from Christy Wilson, RDN. They’re a great addition to your morning coffee, or any time of day, for that matter.

Strawberries help give these muffins a nutritional boost. In fact, strawberries have natural plant flavonoids that provide powerful antioxidant properties. They also give these muffins a natural sweetness that you won’t be able to resist.

Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir just until incorporated. Fold strawberries into mixture until combined.

Portion batter equally between prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Orange Compote:

While muffins are baking, add all compote ingredients to a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

Once mixture begins to simmer, turn down heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 10–12 minutes, stirring every so often. As strawberries cook and soften, mash fruit with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until mixture starts to thicken.

Everyone’s heard the saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be flavorful and fun, too. Need proof? Check out Jenna Braddock’s Whole-Grain Strawberry Waffles with Strawberry Sauce.

Using frozen strawberries for the sauce gives this recipe a unique spin. In fact, frozen strawberries are just as tasty and versatile as fresh strawberries, and boast just as many health benefits.

While the waffles are cooking, prepare strawberry sauce. Put 3 cups of slightly softened strawberries, cornstarch and sugar in blender or food processor. Pulse until strawberries are mealy and no large pieces remain.

Pour contents into a saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat until a gentle boil occurs (about 5–8 minutes). Reduce to lowest setting until ready to serve.

To serve, top waffles with ½ cup ricotta per person, then pour strawberry sauce on top.

The strawberries give this porridge a punch of natural sweetness and a splash of color, while providing a multitude of health benefits. Did you know that just one serving of eight strawberries a day benefits your whole body?

A Strawberry Breakfast Parfait Recipe that is both nutritious and tasty! A quick mix-up for a healthy morning fix that satisfies your taste buds while giving you a strong start to your day. You can take this to-go for breakfast wherever you’re heading or you can make this a great option for on-the-go snacking later in the day. Lightweight but filling, the granola and yogurt build the perfect base for an afternoon strawberry delight.

With fresh California Strawberries, this snack is great for whatever your strawberry-craving heart desires!

If you’re on the run often, keep the ingredients around for an easy option without compromising your nutritional value when snacking. Don’t let the every-day rush keep you from getting the nutritional support that will keep you fueled throughout your day! Strawberries are a nutritional powerhouse – they’re considered functional food for their great benefits in health promoting and assistance in chronic disease management. You’ll be enjoying a lovely meal but you’ll also be sneaking in some extra health benefits in the shape of a really good strawberry surprise.

All it takes is 8 strawberries a day to enjoy the health benefits that they provide. You’re just one delicious cup of strawberries away from adding a nutritious supplement to your daily snacking. Sometimes a little change can make a big difference! Adding a few strawberries is the best way.

Healthy Recipe Roundup

Fresh or frozen, CA strawberries are a versatile fruit that can help you keep your healthy-eating resolutions in check. Available year-round and delicious in both sweet and savory dishes, strawberries offer a nutritional boost to any meal of the day. Look through for a healthy recipe roundup to keep you on top of your nutritional kick!

For the New Year, we’ve enlisted four of our RD ambassadors − Regan Jones, Jenna Braddock, Robin Plotkin, and Caroline Kaufman − to create a roundup of #FreshorFrozen CA strawberry healthy recipe hacks that are perfect for the whole family, from breakfast to dessert.

BREAKFAST

Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Oats

Breakfast is the perfect opportunity to get your 8-a-day of California strawberries. Here are just a few fun new recipes you can try!

Break the breakfast blues with this easy, and delicious, Strawberry and Cinnamon Bowl recipe from Robin Plotkin of Robin’s Bite! PLUS, a $100 Target giveaway below.

I’m fairly old school when it comes to recipes….I’ve got 4 key indicators of a good recipe:

the final product has to taste good -yes, this is my #1

the ingredients have to provide nutritional benefits to me and my family

the ingredients must be simple to find and the directions easy to follow

easy clean up

This recipe has all of that and more.

All I can say is I wish my blog had taste-o-vision. This recipe is a go-to for my son and me for breakfast and snacks. The added cinnamon gives the yogurt a depth of flavor that’s a surprise to many.

The main ingredients are packed with health. The strawberries are naturally sweet, but low in sugar (only 7 grams per cup) and provide the perfect combo of essential nutrients, dietary fiber and health-promoting phytochemicals. In fact, there’s only 45 calories in 8 strawberries-it’s safe to say I consumed about 8 while making this recipe. Yes, the honey adds sugar, but you can decide how much or how little you’d like to add, if any.

I had all of the ingredients in my house! If I didn’t, I could find them easily at the grocery store and could purchase them at a reasonable cost.

If you feel too rushed to eat right, check out this recipe for Strawberry Overnight Oats from guest blogger Christy Wilson, RD!

As a registered dietitian, I have made a conscious effort to reach out to my community for the past several years to spread the word about the month-long nutrition campaign, National Nutrition Month (NNM) that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics started back in 1973. It’s such a pleasure to do cooking demonstrations at elementary schools, speak to community organizations and find fun ways to remind everyone how eating well can benefit lives.

This year’s NNM theme is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” which encourages everyone to take time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the great flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives. One way I “savor the flavor of eating right” is by eating foods that taste good and are good for me and my family – like delicious, California Strawberries.

Did you know that only eight strawberries a day can support brain & heart health, help manage diabetes and reduce the risk of some cancers? Here are a few more fun strawberry facts:

One serving of strawberries (8 medium) has only 45 calories and more vitamin C than an orange

In just 8 strawberries you get 3 grams of heart healthy fiber and a mere 7 grams of natural sugar

Although March is a busy time for many of us, eating nutrient rich foods should remain a priority. Including fruit, like strawberries, as part of everyday meals can keep you energized and healthy to tackle all the activities in our busy weeks.

One recipe that makes a great on-the-go breakfast or snack is my Strawberry Overnight Oats. Make several of these and you’ve got yourself a tasty and convenient breakfast for the week! Made with whole foods including sweet strawberries, rolled oats, chia seeds, Greek yogurt and honey, this recipe is one that will help keep you eating right all month (and all year!) long.

The fall and winter entertaining seasons are upon us. If you are like our family, in the next couple of months you’ll have more overnight house guests than normal, and might be looking for some delicious, make ahead breakfast options to feed all those extra mouths. A strawberries & cream French toast recipe is the way to go.

Whenever I have a full house, I like to do a big breakfast bake for the morning meal. This Strawberries and Cream French Toast Bake is one of those recipes you can prep ahead of time, put in your refrigerator, then bake right before you are ready to serve it. It is the perfect recipe for those busy mornings when you want to focus on the company you have seated around your table and not be stuck in the kitchen working hard to get a meal on the table.

This Strawberries and Cream French Toast Bake will definitely brighten up your brunch table too. Plus with more vitamin C than an orange and loaded with nutrients, the California strawberries in this recipe are a nutritious and versatile fruit to enjoy every day, including in the cooler months!

Fall may not be when you naturally turn to California strawberries in your baked goods, however, you should! With family farmers growing 90 percent of the nation’s strawberries in California, odds are the strawberries you’re enjoying came fresh from the Golden State – with mild and beautiful temperatures all year round. So throw out your ideas of what is expected in the fall, and instead bake up something delicious using fresh, California strawberries.

A flavorful French toast bake, perfect for a make ahead breakfast or brunch!

Ingredients

For the French Toast Bake:

12 slices Texas Toast, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 8oz packages cream cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 cup fresh California strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 cups half and half

12 eggs

½ cup maple syrup

1 Tbls vanilla

1 Tbls cinnamon

For the syrup:

1 cup California strawberries, hulled and chopped

½ cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

¼ cup corn starch

3 Tbls water

½ cup half and half

Instructions

For the French toast bake:

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place half the bread cubes in a baking dish. Top with cream cheese cubes. Next, layer the sliced strawberries on top of the cream cheese, then place the remaining bread cubes over the strawberry layer.

In the jar of a blender, add the half and half and eggs. Blend until fully mixed.

When I was a kid, I used to LOVE strawberry milk. Thinking about it now, I kind of cringe – tons of sugar, artificial color and flavor, and who knows what else. But then I thought – why not create a healthy homemade version of our old classic favorite, this time using real strawberries? Just in time for back to school season, too!

Unlike the processed strawberry milk on the market, this creamy, delicious version includes real California strawberries. Strawberries have more vitamin C than an orange and are packed with essential vitamins, dietary fiber, potassium and health-promoting phytochemicals. In fact, did you know that research suggests eating just 1 cup of strawberries a day may improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of some cancers and support brain function? Sweet. Now that is an after school snack everyone can feel good about!

For a unique take on strawberry milk, this recipe is actually dairy free and made with homemade cashew milk! Have you ever tried to make cashew milk at home before? Turns out it’s quite easy – all you need are cashews, water, and a high speed blender! The first step is to soak the cashews in water overnight so they become soft and are more easily blended. The next morning, simply drain them and rinse. Then, you are ready to make cashew milk!

Pop the softened cashews into a blender with more water (full recipe details below), and blend until smooth (usually a couple minutes). Then, add your strawberries and a little pure maple syrup to taste. If you’d like the milk sweeter, add a full tablespoon of maple syrup. For less sweet, try a half tablespoon. Up to you! Blend another couple minutes until smooth.

Depending on how efficient your blender is, you may want to strain the strawberry milk before serving. This is optional!

Serve cold and enjoy! This creamy and slightly sweet treat will make a great healthy afternoon snack for both kids and parents. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week; just shake it before serving in case settling occurs.

If you’re not feeling the cashew milk thing, don’t have cashews on hand, or don’t want to wait until tomorrow to make this recipe (because the cashews need overnight soaking), feel free to simply make this recipe using whole milk or any store bought alternative milk (like almond or soy milk). Just skip steps 1 and 2 of the recipe, and add about 3 cups of your choice of milk to the blender with the strawberries and pure maple syrup. The possibilities are endless!